State GovernmentLeadership Foundation

State Watch

The State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF) firmly believes that real government reform, innovative policy changes, and the big ideas that will solve America's problems are going to be found in state capitols and not Washington, D.C. As has been the case for several years, there is grid-lock in Washington, and Federal government spending and regulation are out of control, while our country's problems continue to be unaddressed by Washington.

Contrast this with the states, who are getting things done -- some better than others. America is at its most prosperous and productive when there is limited government, less spending, less taxes, less dictation from Washington, and less encroachment into the states.

SGLF will promote innovative reforms advocated by our conservative elected leaders and defend them when the special interest proponents of the status quo attack these elected leaders. SGLF is dedicated to educating policymakers and the public about the benefits of smaller government, lower taxes, balanced budgets, and efficiency in governing.

SGLF is a 501 (c)(4) social welfare organization and is a strategic partner to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) - home to the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association, Republican Attorneys General Association, Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, and the Republican Secretaries of State Committee.

Judge rules state cannot enforce parts of law limiting unions

Written by Patrick Marley for Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on September 17, 2013Labor Reform

Madison — A Dane County judge
ruled Tuesday the state cannot enforce key provisions of a law limiting
collective bargaining against local government unions. But Circuit Judge Juan Colás
declined to issue an injunction against the state, muddying the effect of his
decision. Even before Tuesday's ruling
the case was headed to the state Supreme Court. The high court will likely hear
arguments this fall. Gov. Scott Walker and his
fellow Republicans passed a law in 2011 all but eliminating collective
bargaining for most public workers. A raft of lawsuits followed. Most of the cases have gone the
state's way so far. A different Dane County judge blocked the law when it was
first passed, but the state Supreme Court reinstated it three months later when
it found lawmakers had not violated the open meetings law in approving the measure.

Earlier this year, the U.S. 7th
Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law in its entirety, and last week a
federal judge in Madison dismissed another case brought by unions. But the unions have had success
in Colás' court. In September 2012, Colás sided with Madison Teachers Inc. and
a union representing City of Milwaukee employees by ruling the law violated
local workers' constitutional rights to free speech, free association and equal
representation under the law by capping union workers' raises but not those of
their non-union counterparts. The state appealed, and the
Court of Appeals asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case without the
appeals court ruling on it. The Supreme Court agreed to take the case in June. Meanwhile, a dispute developed
between the state and the unions involved in the case over whether Colás'
decision applied to only the unions that sued or all unions in Wisconsin
representing teachers and local workers. (Both sides agreed the decision did
not apply to state employee unions.) Madison Teachers Inc. filed a
motion with Colás asking him to enjoin the enforcement of Act 10, as the labor
law is known, against local government unions.

New poll shows support for voter ID continues

Written by Craig Jarvis for Charlotte News-Observer on September 17, 2013Election Law

North Carolinians continue to
feel strongly that people should have photo identification in order to vote,
according to new poll results released Tuesday. But there is much less support
for some of the other provisions in the massive elections bill that the
governor signed into law last month. The High Point University
survey found nearly three-fourths of those who answered interviewers’ questions
approve of the new requirement that voters show government-issued photo
identification (72 percent) beginning with the 2016 elections.

Yet a majority of those
surveyed – 56 percent – don’t approve of eliminating same-day registration, and
55 percent don’t think shortening early voting from 17 to 10 days is a good
idea. Those changes go into effect next year. Opinions on eliminating
straight-party voting, another provision in the new law, are less clearly
drawn: 45 percent want it eliminated, while 47 percent disapprove of the
change. Similarly, the law allows for raising the limits on campaign
contributions from $4,000 to $5,000 each election cycle: Forty-six percent of
respondents like the increase and 42 percent don’t. “You do have a mixed bag,” said
High Point assistant professor of political science Martin Kifer. “Voter ID
seems to make sense to people when they hear about it.”

Budget year » Investors’ stock sell-off led to windfall; legislators have several projects already in mind for higher education, public education.

Utah finished its budget year with a nearly quarter-billion-dollar
surplus in the state fund that pays for public schools and universities,
revenue figures released Tuesday show. "This surplus is not only encouraging, it’s needed," Gov.
Gary Herbert said in a statement. "We can now augment the critical
investment we make in education and economic development." Constitutionally, Utah’s income taxes go to pay for education in the
state. The huge $242 million jump in the education fund was due to
"profit-taking," or investors selling off stocks to avoid increased
tax rates with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. Legislative Fiscal Analyst Jonathan Ball said that because the profits
were taken in the 2012 tax year, they can’t be counted on for the future,
meaning the state revenue can really be spent only on one-time needs, not
ongoing expenses like salaries. Under state law, nearly half the money in the Education Fund is
required to be diverted to the state’s Rainy Day Funds. That leaves $122
million that lawmakers will be able to invest in one-time education purchases.

USA TODAY/Pew poll: Health care law faces difficult future

WASHINGTON -- Republican
lawmakers have failed in dozens of attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act,
but a new USA TODAY/Pew Research Center Poll shows just how difficult they have
made it for President Obama's signature legislative achievement to succeed. As the health care exchanges at
the heart of the law open for enrollment in two weeks, the public's views of it
are as negative as they have ever been, and disapproval of the president's
handling of health care has hit a new high. Confusion and misinformation about
the law haven't significantly abated, especially among the law's main targets.

Among the 19% polled who are
uninsured, nearly four in 10 don't realize the law requires them to get health
insurance next year. Among young people, whose participation is seen as crucial
for the exchanges to work, just 56% realize there's a mandate to be insured or
face a fine. And in the states that have
refused to participate in the insurance marketplaces — defaulting instead to
the federal exchange — knowledge about the Affordable Care Act and support for
it are notably lower than in states that are setting up their own exchanges.

California businesses work to adapt to health care law

Written by Christopher Cadelago for Sacramento Bee on September 16, 2013Health Care

Neil Crosby, director of sales
for Warner Pacific Insurance Services, had surpassed 500 when he lost track of
the number of presentations he has given on the new federal health care law. Addressing apprehensive
audiences, Crosby tests their understanding of the challenges businesses face
as they scramble to digest and meet the requirements of the Affordable Care
Act. When he asks whether there is anything that requires them to provide
health care for their workers, they reply, “Yes.” “Actually, there isn’t,” Crosby
said in a recent interview. “But, if you have 50 or more employees and you
don’t, you are going to eventually face a penalty.”

Two weeks before the state
begins enrolling people in its insurance marketplace, businesses small and
large are researching and retooling their health care offerings as they
struggle to tamp down costs. Under the new law, nearly all Americans will have
to carry health insurance or pay a penalty. “There are so many unanswered
questions, so many provisions coming at them,” Crosby said. “They don’t know
which way to turn. Some are just putting their head in their hands and saying,
‘God, can I just run my business?’”

COMMENTARY: MEDICAID EXPANSION? NOT WITHOUT TRUE REFORM

Written by Michael Thompson for The Free Lance-Star on September 15, 2013Health Care

SPRINGFIELD—Medicaid expansion
should take place only after real reforms are made to the federal health
program for the poor and uncertainties surrounding expansion are eliminated,
according to a public opinion survey released recently by the Thomas Jefferson
Institute for Public Policy. The Jefferson Institute’s
survey is made more valid when compared to recent results of a Wall Street
Journal/NBC survey that found 47 percent think Obamacare is a bad idea with 34
percent thinking it is a good idea, and fully 48 percent of those currently
without health insurance—those who are supposed to be helped most by this
national health insurance program—also think it is a bad idea! Now let’s look
at the recent survey released by the Jefferson Institute.

The Jefferson Institute
sponsored this opinion survey with the Liberty Foundation, and it is the result
of 1,465 telephone response surveys conducted between July 10 and July 14; the
results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.56 percent. Although focused
on the six major counties that are represented by all 10 members of the special
Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission (those who will approve or disapprove
Medicaid expansion by year’s end), the sampling is so large that the results
likely reflect sentiments statewide according to the polling company, Magellan
Strategies of Colorado. This is a well-respected polling company that is part
of the polling data used by Real Clear Politics. This survey (available on the
Jefferson Institute’s website) shows that Medicaid is liked by the people of
Virginia and they support expansion but only under certain conditions. The
results show that the voters of Virginia will accept expansion of Medicaid only
after real reforms are implemented that curb waste, fraud, and abuse. Not just
promises of reforms, but real quantifiable reforms. This reform-first position
is in line with the mission of the Medicaid Commission, and this survey shows
that the public supports this approach.

Expanding Iowa’s Medicaid coverage to top $1 billion

Written by Rod Boshart for The Quad-City Times on September 14, 2013Health Care

DES MOINES — The cost of
providing expanded, government-subsidized health-care coverage to needy Iowans
is projected to top $1 billion when the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan is
largely implemented by July 2015, according to budget documents prepared by the
state Department of Human Services. The entire cost of the
health-care expansion will be covered by the federal government until 2017,
when the state begins to pick up 5 percent of the cost and then pays a 10
percent yearly match beginning in 2020 and beyond, DHS officials say.
Initially, the agency estimates the total federal program cost for the expanded
health care will be $324.8 million through next June 30 and almost $1.021
billion in fiscal 2015.

“It’s a large number,” said
Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City, one of the architects of the bipartisan
compromise approved by the split-control Legislature last session and signed by
Gov. Terry Branstad. She noted the figure is similar to the uncompensated
charity care that hospitals and others currently provide, which get factored
into private insurance rates that consumers pay, so ultimately the hope is to
contain or lower costs by getting Iowans to take more responsibility for their
health decisions. “I think this is just truly a
very rough estimate,” said Sen. Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, ranking member of the
Senate Appropriations Committee and an ex officio member of the Iowa Council on
Human Services, who noted the question remains whether federal and state
governments can afford the expansion.

DPS Starts Saturday Hours To Issue Voter ID Cards

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Nearly
50 Department of Public Safety offices across Texas will open on Saturdays to
issue election identification certificates ahead of voting in November. The agency announced Friday
that the extended hours are only for those who need an ID in order to vote on
Nov. 5. The offices will not transact any other business. Texas will hold a referendum on
proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. It’s the first statewide
election where officials will enforce a law requiring voters to produce a photo
ID card to vote. To obtain a Voter ID, applicants must bring documentation that
will verify U.S. citizenship, be a Texas resident and be 18 years old by the
date of the election. If not, the state will furnish them. The law is under
court challenge. Election judges will accept
driver’s licenses, concealed handgun licenses, U.S. passports, military IDs or
naturalization certificates with a photo. Anyone who does not have one of those
documents may apply for a free election ID on Saturdays thru Nov. 2. Only
certain DPS offices will open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. No action is necessary for
people who are registered to vote and already have an approved form of ID, such
as a driver’s license

Many fear EPA rules will hurt WV industry

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Few
specifics are known about federal carbon emissions standards set for release
next week. But reports that the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency rules could harm the coal industry drew fierce responses from
several West Virginia politicians and industry officials. By the end of next week, the
EPA must issue proposed carbon emissions standards for newlybuilt coal-fired
power plants in the country. Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal both
reported those rules will force any new plants to use equipment that industry
officials contend either does not exist or is too expensive.

There is no reason to expect
the rules won't hurt the coal industry, said Bill Raney, president of the West
Virginia Coal Association. "The anticipation is not
very good," Raney said. "We're expecting it to be very damaging to West Virginia and the
Appalachian states and coal-burning utilities." Raney again said the technology
to effectively reduce emissions or "capture" the carbon isn't a
feasible option for facilities in the short term. It would realistically take
years to implement the technology, at a significant cost, he said.

Kansas reports job openings increase in 2013

Annual Labor Dept. survey shows 38,000 openings

Job vacancies in Kansas totaled nearly 38,000 in the second quarter of
2013 — an increase of 5.5 percent in the number of openings a year ago, the
Kansas Department of Labor reported this week. The increased number of job openings in the department’s annual Kansas
Job Vacancy Survey of Kansas employers — conducted to identify the number and
types of jobs available in specific industries and regions of the state —
showed “the Kansas economy steadily improves, and employers are confident
enough to add employees,” Kansas Secretary of Labor Lana Gordon said in a news
release.

The survey taken at the same time in 2012 showed some 36,000 job
openings, the Labor Department said. The number reported for 2013 was 37,981. The largest number of job openings, the department said, was in the
trade, transportation and utilities group, which reported 11,351 vacancies.
Educational and health services reported 7,614 openings, while leisure and
hospitality businesses reported 4,501 openings. As far as specific positions available, jobs characterized as customer
service representatives listed 3,666 vacancies, while there were 3,656 openings
reported for retail salespeople.

Indiana attorney general appeals ruling that 'right to work' law is unconstitutional

Written by Tim Evans for The Indianapolis Star on September 12, 2013Labor Reform

The office of Indiana Attorney
General Greg Zoeller today appealed a Superior Court ruling that found
Indiana’s “right to work” law unconstitutional. Lake Superior Court Judge John
Sedia ruled last week that the law violates a provision in the state
constitution barring the delivery of services "without just
compensation." Sedia, who was appointed by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels in
2012, ruled the law incorrectly forces unions to represent workers who don't
pay union dues. “We don’t begrudge the right of
private plaintiffs to challenge a statute, but my office has a duty to defend
the policy-making authority of the people’s elected representatives in the
Legislature,” Zoeller said in a statement. The state’s appeal will be
heard in the Indiana Supreme Court, rather than the Indiana Court of Appeals,
the statement said, because the trial court declared portions of the statute
unconstitutional. The law remains intact during
the appeals process, the statement said. The case is Sweeney v. Zoeller.

S.C. attorney general promotes work opposing Washington

Written by Mary Orndorff Troyan for Greenville Online on September 12, 2013Federal Overreach

WASHINGTON – A court decision that reinstated Yucca Mountain, Nev., as
a candidate for storing nuclear waste marked a legal victory for states over
the federal government, South Carolina AttorneyGeneral Alan Wilson said
Thursday. “I was happy when a federal appeals court basically said ... this
administration ran afoul of the law by withdrawing Yucca’s application,” Wilson
said at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. Wilson was one of four Republican attorneys general who participated in
a panel about the battles between states and federal officials over rules and
laws involving health care, energy, labor and the environment. “The federal government no longer sees the states as equal partners,”
Wilson said. “That’s why we are fighting.” South Carolina was among states that filed suit during President Barack
Obama’s first term when the Energy Department halted its analysis of the Yucca
Mountain nuclear waste site in the Nevada desert.

State Board of Education set to vote on revised set of Common Core standards

Written by Jan Murphy for The Patriot News on September 11, 2013Education Reform

Despite a public outcry about it moving education in a wrong direction,
the State Board of Education stands ready on Thursday to vote on a set of
grade-level learning goals that come with the implementation of Pennsylvania’s
first-ever state graduation-testing requirement. The learning goals, called Pennsylvania Core Standards, spell out what
students should be able to do at the end of each grade in math and language
arts. Along with them, the proposed rules would require students, starting
with the Class of 2017, to demonstrate their proficiency in Algebra I, Biology
I and language arts on a Keystone Exam, or one of the other state-approved
alternative assessments, to graduate.

It’s a move that the board sees as necessary to make high school
diplomas more meaningful and to help standardize what students are being taught
in schools, among a bevy of other reasons. But its critics, including seven people who addressed the board at
Wednesday’s meeting, say it will be too costly. It’s unproven. It will lead to
loss of local control over education. And it will increased drop-out rates. “What can we do as parents, taxpayers, to stop the implementation of
this horrible program?” said Anastasia Przbylski of Freedom Works, a national
grassroots organization battling against the adoption of Common Core standards
that she said has 90,000 members in Pennsylvania.

State could take over three more school districts

Written by Emily Lane for The Clarion Ledger on September 10, 2013Education Reform

The state may soon have three more struggling school districts to run. The Mississippi Department of Education’s Commission on School
Accreditation voted Tuesday to send resolutions to the state Board of Education
recommending a state of emergency be declared in Claiborne County School
District, Yazoo City School District and Leflore County School District. If on Thursday the state board agrees to declare emergencies at the
districts — and Gov. Phil Bryant subsequently signs off — the state would take
over the districts, removing them from local control and placing them under
conservatorship.

The state already has two districts under full conservatorship —
Aberdeen School District and Oktibbeha County School District. Tate County
School District, Hazlehurst City School District and North Panola School
District are also under the state’s control, but the process began this summer
to return them to local control and will be completed by July 1, 2014. LeFlore County and Yazoo districts both have schools with patterns of
poor performance on state tests, labeling schools as failing. Both are on probation.
Action on Claiborne County was expected after state Board of Education asked
the commission to consider a takeover last month. Board members had voiced
concerns that a proposed withdrawal of accreditation might fail to solve
problems with the school board and superintendent. The commission agreed in all three instances Tuesday that the districts
met the standards for state takeover, which are designed to ensure children
receive a free and appropriate public education to which they are constitutionally
entitled.

Wyoming select education committee to talk accountability

Written by Leah Todd for The Casper Star-Tribune on September 10, 2013Education Reform

A new accountability system to track the state’s public schools, school
districts and teachers will be the topic of discussion at a two-day legislative
meeting in Newcastle starting Tuesday. The Wyoming Legislature’s Select Committee on Statewide Education
Accountability will hear updates on the new accountability system from
representatives of Wyoming’s Department of Education, State Board of Education
and the National Center for Improvement of Educational Assessment. An act of
the 2011 Legislature mandated the accountability efforts, which are aimed at
increasing student growth, minimizing achievement gaps and ensuring all
students leave Wyoming schools career or college ready.

The committee will also hear an update on the state’s most recent
standardized testing results and an update from the Department of Education’s
newly appointed director, Rich Crandall, regarding the transfer of duties from
the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Cindy Hill, to a new, governor-appointed
position. The transfer of duties began after the Wyoming Legislature rewrote
the superintendent’s job description as part of Senate File 104, which passed
the Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Matt Mead earlier this year. The committee’s first day of meetings begins at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in
the Crouch Auditorium at the Newcastle Middle/High School Complex. A second
round of meetings begins at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the same location.

N.J. Governor Moves to Expand Tax Incentives; Other States Tentative

While states continue to question whether tax incentives do enough to
boost economies and jobs, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie threw his support
behind a bill to consolidate and expand the state’s main tax incentive
programs. The state Assembly Monday
approved the minor changes the governor requested on an overwhelming vote. The
Senate will consider the bill later this week. Christie praised its main
provisions, but asked the legislature to strike a provision requiring
businesses that get the tax credits to pay prevailing wages for maintenance
workers at their facilities.

"This bipartisan approach will help keep New Jersey's economy
growing and on the right track, and I commend lawmakers on both sides for all
their hard work," the Republican governor said in a statement.He said the
bill will streamline the economic development programs and “boost our economy.” While New Jersey is set on expanding the tax incentive programs, other
states are questioning whether they work as advertised to increase jobs and
expand economic growth. Maine, for example, has set up a task force to find $40 million in savings
within the state’s tax incentives. Its first meeting is scheduled next week.
Without the savings, the state faces cuts to municipal revenue sharing.

Written by RANDY KREHBIEL & BARBARA HOBEROCK for Tulsa World on September 09, 2013Legal Reform

OKLAHOMA CITY - The House took
some persuading, and even then the Republican leadership and the Fallin
administration didn't get exactly what they wanted, but a sheaf of 25 lawsuit
reform bills went through the final stage of adoption by the Oklahoma Legislature
on Monday to bring a weeklong special session to an end. The bills are intended to
replace a single, omnibus measure enacted in 2009 and declared unconstitutional
by the state Supreme Court in June. Twenty-four of the 25 bills are intended to
correct the 2009 law's violation of the state's single-subject rule. The 25th
and most controversial deals with the so-called certificate of merit
requirement, which the court has twice thrown out on other grounds. House Speaker T.W. Shannon had
to come out on the House floor to rustle up the last few votes on that one, SB
1x, as 15 Republicans joined the 21 Democrats on the floor in voting no. Three
other Republicans voted "constitutional privilege," and three more
were absent, leaving Shannon the bare minimum 51 votes needed for passage.

He never did get the 68 votes
needed for the emergency clause, a small victory for the Democratic minority
that went through the special session kicking and screaming to the end. The
emergency clauses on the last three bills through the House also failed, this
time because too many Republicans had left and none of the remaining Democrats
cared to bail out the majority. The failed emergency clauses
were the only items on Gov. Mary Fallin's to-do list not to be checked. The 21 bills with emergency
clauses will become law as soon as they are signed by Fallin. The four without
won't become effective until 90 days after signing.

Indiana Right-to-Work Law Ruled Unconstitutional by State Judge

Written by Andrew Harris for Bloomberg News on September 09, 2013Labor Reform

Indiana’s right-to-work law
making it a crime to charge union dues as a condition of employment was ruled
unconstitutional by a state court judge. Enacted by now-former Governor
Mitch Daniels last year, the measure made it a misdemeanor to require a worker
to pay fees, assessments or other charges to a union or a third party to get or
keep a job. Opponents called the
legislation a wage-lowering union buster. State court Judge John M. Sedia in
Hammond concluded it was unlawful because it forced unions to provide benefits
to non-members without just compensation. “There is no court which is
more loathe to declare any state statute unconstitutional than this one,” Sedia
said in a Sept. 5 ruling, saying he had no choice other than to void the law. The judge delayed enforcement
of his ruling during an appeal. State Attorney General Greg
Zoeller’s office said today it will seek to reverse the ruling.

The Latest Evidence of Voter Fraud — and Discrimination

Written by Hans Von Spakovsky and John Fund for National Review Online on September 09, 2013Election Law

Obama-administration officials
and their liberal camp-followers who routinely claim there is no reason to
worry about election integrity because vote fraud is nonexistent suffered some
embarrassing setbacks last week. Federal law requires states to
clean up their voter rolls. In 2009, the
Obama Justice Department dismissed, with no explanation, a lawsuit filed by the
Bush administration asking Missouri for such a clean-up. It has since taken no
action against any other state or jurisdiction since it has an unofficial
policy of not enforcing this requirement. But private parties are starting to
force changes. In Mississippi last Wednesday,
the American Civil Rights Union won a significant victory for election
integrity when a federal judge approved a consent decree in which Walthall
County agreed to finally clean up its bloated voter-registration list. The
county has more registered voters than the Census says it has eligible voters.
The ACRU sued the county (which went for Romney in 2012) under Section 8 of the
National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which requires election officials to
maintain accurate voter rolls through a regular program that removes ineligible
voters.

Walthall County will have to
remove felons, noncitizens, decedents, and voters who have moved away from its
registration list. As part of the
consent decree, the county agreed to start checking its voter list against
other state and federal records maintained by the Mississippi DMV, the state
departments of vital records and corrections, the local court and local tax
authority, the Social Security
Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security. The county must also
notify local and federal law-enforcement officials when it finds individuals
who registered or voted illegally, such as felons and noncitizens. The ACRU has
a second suit still pending against Jefferson Davis County, Miss. (which went
for Obama in 2012). This is the first time in the
20 years that the NVRA has been in force that a conservative group has sued to
enforce Section 8, while liberal advocacy groups have filed many cases to try
to stop election officials from cleaning up their registration lists, a
practice which they foolishly label “voter suppression.”

Teacher evaluations take center stage in Michigan Legislature on Wednesday

LANSING -- The question of how Michigan should evaluate its public
school teachers will be up for debate Wednesday in a joint meeting of education
committees in the Michigan Legislature. The House and Senate education committees will hear a presentation from
Dr. Deborah Ball, chair of the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness. The council was created by legislators to make recommendations on how
the state should conduct teacher evaluations, which are a key component of
Michigan's waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements under federal law. Michigan lawmakers enacted the evaluation requirements as part of a
package of bills that made changes to the state's teacher tenure system in
2011.

The report issued by the council earlier this summer recommended a
system where direct observation of both teachers and administrators was used
along with student performance to determine effectiveness. The system would
apply to both teachers and principals. Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair Township), who chairs the Senate
committee, said after the report was released that the report would be a
positive step for the state's public schools. "Student achievement is the top priority, and an evaluation system
that supports educators and encourages professional growth will be a game
changer for Michigan schools. I want to thank the Council for their dedication
to this important task. Future generations of students will greatly benefit
from their expertise and hard work," Pavlov said.

Major N.J. tax break measure a step closer

TRENTON - Accepting changes required by Gov. Christie, the Assembly
passed legislation Monday that would expand the availability of tax breaks for
businesses across the state, with one lawmaker calling the measure "the
most comprehensive overhaul of state incentives" in New Jersey's history.
The bill, which goes back to the Senate, includes perks for South Jersey: Businesses
in eight southern counties would have to create fewer jobs and invest less than
companies elsewhere in the state to qualify for the tax credits. Christie, who
conditionally vetoed the Economic Opportunity Act earlier in the day, said he
would support the sweeping bill only if the Legislature struck provisions that
would require maintenance workers on qualifying projects to be paid a
prevailing wage and that would give incentives to developers for repurposing
health-care facilities. The Assembly voted, 70-6, to go along with Christie's
changes. The Senate is to vote on the revised measure Thursday. The bill, which
would streamline the state's five economic incentive programs into two, would
allow small businesses to qualify for tax breaks as well as companies outside
urban areas.

Written by The Times-Picayune for Katherine Sayre and Rebecca Catalanello on September 06, 2013Health Care

In three weeks, millions of the
nation's uninsured will be able to go online and shop for health insurance. It will mark the most visible
implementation of the much debated Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
since it was signed into law three years ago. Five Louisiana companies have
asked to offer dozens of plans to Louisiana residents looking for coverage in
the online marketplace, often called an "exchange." But how much
consumers will be asked to pay remains to be seen. To get the word out, federally
funded groups across Louisiana say they are preparing to storm the state with
trained counselors who can help residents enroll beginning Oct. 1, when the
exchanges launch. Insurance companies Humana,
Coventry, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Vantage and a new organization,
Louisiana Health Cooperative, have applied to participate in Louisiana's
marketplace and submitted as many as 90 proposed plans to the state Department
of Insurance, officials said this week.

As healthcare law rolls out, its effects will depend on your state

People living in states that back the Affordable Care Act will get substantial help unavailable to those in states that are fighting it. The law kicks in next month.

Written by Noam N. Levey for The Los Angeles Times on September 06, 2013Health Care

WASHINGTON — Colorado residents
shopping for health insurance next year will be able to compare health plans
using a star system that ranks insurance companies on quality. In Oregon and Maryland,
consumers will save as much as 30% on some plans after state regulators forced
insurers to lower 2014 premiums. Californians will get extra help selecting a
health plan next year from a small army of community workers paid in part by
foundations and the state. As President Obama's healthcare
law rolls out next month, even supporters acknowledge there will be problems.
But Americans who live in states backing the Affordable Care Act will receive
substantial protections and assistance unavailable to residents in states still
fighting the 2010 law. That could mean confusion and higher insurance premiums
for millions of consumers in states resisting the law.

Leaders in these resistant
states have not set up consumer hot lines. Several state insurance regulators
are refusing to make sure health plans offer new protections required by the
law, such as guaranteed coverage for people who are ill. In response to the
law, Florida suspended its authority to review how much insurance companies
charge consumers. "I would certainly rather
be in a state that is trying than in one that is not," said Alan Weil, executive
director of the National Academy for State Heath Policy. "There are going
to be some big differences." The Affordable Care Act was
supposed to smooth out disparities in insurance coverage and healthcare quality
between states, providing all Americans with a basic level of protection.

Oil tax bill referendum to appear on August 2014 ballot

Written by Matt Buxton for The Fairbanks Daily News – Miner on September 06, 2013Energy & Environment

FAIRBANKS — The Alaska Division
of Elections has certified a referendum on Gov. Sean Parnell’s oil tax bill for
the ballot next year. Elections Director Gail
Fenumiai, in a letter to lead referendum backer Vic Fischer earlier this week,
certified that the referendum has met all the requirements necessary to appear
on the Aug. 19, 2014, statewide primary election ballot. The letter confirmed that
petitioners across the state gathered 45,664 voter signatures, surpassing the
30,169 signature requirement that was based on the 2012 general election
turnout. The group gathered 52,649 signatures, some of which were disqualified
in the review process.

Fischer, who is a former state
senator and delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention, applauded the
step in a news release Thursday. “This is a great victory for
Alaskans,” said Fischer, a prime sponsor of the repeal effort. “Alaskans
deserve a fair share of the wealth generated from our oil fields. Repealing the
giveaway will help ensure that.” Parnell and a newly elected
Republican majority in the Legislature passed Senate Bill 21 earlier this year
to cut overall taxation on oil in a bid to reverse decades of faltering
production. Opponents, like Fischer, have argued against the bill, saying it
gives too much away and contains no guarantees of new production. If passed, the bill would
return Alaska to the Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share, or ACES, tax, which
both Republicans and Democrats agreed needed revisions.

New Wyoming education director supports reform

Written by Associated Press for The Casper Star-Tribune on September 06, 2013Education Reform

CHEYENNE — Wyoming is on the right track in its effort to hold schools
and educators accountable for the academic performance of their K-12 students,
according to Richard Crandall, the new director of the state Department of
Education. “I do think we need a common vision of where we want to be five years
from now so that everybody can play a key role in it,” Crandall said. “I think
we’ll be able to agree on that and then it’s just a matter of implementing the
plan.” With the amount of money Wyoming spends on education — the state is
among the highest nationally in education spending per capita — it’s proper to
ask why students aren’t among the top five performers nationally in the
classroom, Crandall said. The state Legislature has been working for several years on
establishing the best ways to test and measure student academic performance and
how to hold individual schools, administrators and teachers responsible for
students not being prepared for college or careers. The effort has included
requiring all 11th-grade students take the ACT test and requiring a 16-to-1
student-to-teacher ratio in kindergarten through third grades.

While some education reform measures have been implemented, others,
such as how to evaluate teachers, are still being worked out by lawmakers. The Education Department is a key player in implementing the reforms.
It is one of the reasons why the Legislature and Gov. Matt Mead decided to
enact a law replacing the statewide superintendent of public instruction with a
director appointed by the governor. The idea was to take the agency out of the
hands of politicians and place it in the hands of an administrator who has a
better understanding of complicated education issues. Crandall, who took over the agency Aug. 5, said in a recent interview
that implementing Wyoming’s education reform will be challenging because it
will take time to see results.